Social Worker - J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center : Job Details

Summary Of Job Responsibilities: Provide service coordination activities when assigned and direct/indirect treatment interventions to infants and toddlers. Participate in multidisciplinary evaluations as needed. Provide documentation of interventions consistent with Early Intervention Regulations. Essential Functions & Principal Duties And Responsibilities: 1. Protect the rights and dignities of individuals with developmental disabilities and extend these rights and dignities to family members or guardians. 2. Upholds and complies with all safety programs and policies to maintain a safe work environment for employees, consumers, family members and visitors. 3. Commits to organizational quality initiatives by participating in programs that will assure quality improvements and team processes. 4. Provide family training developmental treatment and essential funding in accordance with a child's Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), and service coordination when assigned in home, community or childcare settings. 5. Participate in arena-style multidisciplinary evaluations, taking responsibility for assessing social-emotional development, parent/child interaction, attachment, temperament, behavior; or service as the evaluation facilitator, when assigned, providing oral and written explanation of the evaluation process and results to the child's parents. 6. Lead parent support groups and/or parenting education classes as needed. 7. Provide individual short or long-term direct counseling when indicated among consensus of the multidisciplinary team and written into the child's IFSP. 8. Perform initial home visits for new referrals, including parent interview, child observation or screening, and all necessary paperwork. 9. Follows the Rhode Island Early Intervention Competencies. 10. Obtain consultation from other members of the team in areas outside own expertise, such as motor or language development, consistent with the transdisciplinary provision of services. 11. Maintain licensure and professional knowledge through participation in professional organizations, conferences, and in-services. 12. Document all activities in accordance with regulations and requirements necessary for billing, agency policies, or early intervention regulations. 13. Follow all agency guidelines and department specific policies, i.e. sick time or vacation time usage and call in policies, dress codes, etc. as specified in personnel manual and Early Intervention specific procedures. 14. Perform other duties as directed by the supervisor related to the organization's mission, goals and operations. Early Intervention Principles and Practices: 1. Infants and toddlers learn best though every day experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar contexts a. Learning activities and opportunities must be functional, based on child and family interest and enjoyment. b. Learning is relationship based. c. Learning should provide opportunities to practice and build upon previously mastered skills. d. Learning occurs through participation in a variety of enjoyable activities. 2. All families, with the necessary supports and resources, can enhance their children's learning and development children's learning and development. a. All families' means ALL (income levels, racial, and cultural backgrounds, educational levels, skill levels, living with varied levels of stress and resources. b. The consistent adults in a child's life have the greatest influence on learning and development- not the EI providers. c. All families have strengths and capabilities that can be used to help their child. d. All families are resourceful, but al families do not have equal access. e. Supports (informal and formal) need to build on strengths and reduce stressors so families are able to engage with their children in mutually enjoyable interactions and activities. 3. The primary role of the service provider in early intervention is to work with and support family members and caregivers in a child's life. a. EI providers engage with adults to enhance confidence and competence in their inherent role as the people who teach and foster the child's development. b. Families are equal partners in the relationship with service providers. c. Mutual trust, respect, honesty, and open communication characterize he family-provider relationship. 4. The early intervention process, from initial contacts through transition, must be dynamic and individualized to reflect the child's and family members' preference, learning styles, and cultural beliefs. a. Families are active participants in all aspects of services. b. Families are the ultimate decision makers in the amount, type of assistance, and support revised accordingly. c. Child and family needs, interests, and skills change; the IFSP must be fluid, and revised accordingly. d. The adults in a child's life each have their own preferred learning styles; interactions must be sensitive and responsive to individuals. e. Each family's culture, spiritual beliefs and activities, values, and traditions will be different from the service provider's (even if from a seemingly similar culture); service providers should seek to understand, not judge. f. Family “ways” are more important than provider comfort and beliefs (short of abuse/neglect). 5. IFSP outcomes must be functional and based on children's and families' needs and priorities a. Functional outcomes improve participation in meaningful activities. b. Functional outcomes build on natural motivations to learn and do; fit what's important to families; strength naturally occurring routines; enhance natural learning opportunities. c. The family understands that strategies are worth working on because they lead to practical improvements in child and family life. d. Functional outcomes keep the team focused on what's meaningful to the family in their day to day activities. 6. The family's priorities needs and interests are addressed most appropriately by a primary provider who represents and receives team and community support. a. The team can include the family's friends, relatives, and community support people, as well as specialized service providers. b. Good teaming practices are used. c. One consistent person needs to understand and keep abreast of the changing circumstances, needs, interests, strengths, and demands in a family's life. d. The primary provider brings in other services and supports as needed, assuring outcomes, activities, and advice are compatible with family life and won't overwhelm or confuse family members. 7. Interventions with young children and family members must be based on explicit principles, validated practices, best available research and relevant laws and regulations. a. Practices must be on and consistent with explicit principles. b. Providers should be able to provide a rationale for practice decisions. c. Research is ongoing and informs evolving practices. d. Practice decisions must be data-based and ongoing evaluation is essential e. Practices must fit with relevant laws and regulations. f. As research and practice evolve, laws and regulations must be amended accordingly. 8. Support for families in developing strategies to understand, interpret and nurture their child's development is best achieved through the use of reflective practices. a. Early Intervention providers take the time to pause and explore their reactions and feelings regarding their work with children and families b. Reflection occurs at individual, family, team, supervisory, programmatic and interagency levels. c. Reflective supervision supports individual, family, team, supervisory, programmatic and interagency levels. d. Reflective practices promote a parallel process whereby early intervention providers reflect on their relationships and interactions with parents/caregivers who in turn reflect on their relationship and interactions with their child. Internal/External Relationships: Internal: Function as a member of a transdisciplinary team servicing infants and toddlers with special needs, and their families. Provide supervision, orientation, or mentorship to other members of the team or student interns as required. External: Consult to other members of the team in areas of own expertise, including attachment, parent-child interaction, and pediatric DSM-V diagnoses, and provide leadership in treatment areas related to social work and mental health, including inter-agency coordination of services to families with complex social needs. Working Conditions: Natural settings, center and home-based interventions which shall require local travel. General business office conditions working with computer, telephone, photo copy equipment, scanner and fax machines. Work environment is contained in a program location that necessitates frequent child and family contact Physical And Mental Requirements: Ability to successfully perform the essential function of this job with reasonable accommodations considered. Ability to deal with a wide range of individual and programmatic issues. Frequent sitting, standing and walking. Must be able to lift 30 pounds. Must have valid driver's license, safe driving record, automobile insurance and own vehicle to be used as directed and when needed for transport. Must have and maintain pediatric CPR certification. Education, Experience And Skills: Master's Degree in Social Work from an accredited program, counseling, or appropriate related field required; 2-5 years experience working with infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; eligible for certification and meets requirements of R.I. Board of Registration for Social Workers. Able to work in transdisciplinary professional environment. Preferred: Experience in home-based treatment; training and experience in assessment of social/emotional development and parent-child interaction; fluency in second language such as Spanish; experience working with racial or ethnic minorities or immigrant populations. Employment Type: Full Time Bonus/Commission: No